Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 2 to Start Service from August... Except for Some Sections
[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] From now on, 5G services will be available even in the subway. The three mobile carriers have removed the label of 'unreliable 5G' and jointly built services starting with the subway, the 'citizens' feet,' so that the public can experience 5G services.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 23rd, Vice Minister Jang Seok-young inspected the construction site with the three mobile carriers at Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station in Seoul at 12:50 a.m. during late-night hours ahead of the 5G launch on the Seoul Metropolitan Subway Lines 2 and 9, as well as the Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, and Busan lines.
The Seoul Line 9 and the Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, and Busan subways are currently fully constructed. In the case of Line 2, except for some sections undergoing environmental improvement construction such as City Hall Station, 5G services will be available on the entire circular line starting next month. The three carriers plan to sequentially install 5G equipment on the remaining lines by mid-next year.
This is a measure to enhance public experience by promoting the construction of the 'data highway' 5G network, a core of the Digital New Deal, in densely populated areas such as subways. Earlier, Minister Choi Ki-young of the Ministry of Science and ICT met with the CEOs of SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus to discuss investment plans aimed at nationwide 5G network construction by 2022. This year, 5G equipment will be focused on installation in multi-use facilities, subways, and major sections of highways centered around Seoul and six major metropolitan cities.
In particular, this on-site inspection drew attention as it was conducted just before the first quality evaluation, which is crucial for the mobile carriers' '5G leadership.' The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to announce the results of the 'First Half 5G Quality Evaluation' targeting Seoul and six major metropolitan cities at the end of this month or early next month. Evaluation factors include whether 5G service is provided, call quality, and LTE fallback rate.
At the site, Vice Minister Jang, who directly measured 5G quality, said, "5G is the core infrastructure of the 'data highway' and the most important foundation of the Digital New Deal. Through focused investment, we will expand coverage not only in subways but also in places where the public can experience 5G services and strive to create various 5G services."
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